Whitehaven will have their two Australian forward recruits in the squad by the end of the week – with time to prepare for the first game against Workington Town.
Prop forward Lucas Castle is expected in West Cumbria later today while back-tower Lachlan Lanskey should arrive tomorrow.
They will have a fortnight to acclimatise before the first friendly for the Ike Southward Memorial Trophy at the LEL Arena on Sunday, January 15.
The 23-year-old Castle has played his rugby in the 2022 season for the St George Illawarra Dragons reserve grade in the NSW Cup and spent 2021 with the Blacktown Workers in the NSW Cup Competition. The Workers are the feeder side of the Manly Sea Eagles.
Castle started his career at the Wests Tigers Jersey Flegg side. The Jersey Flegg cup is a competition in New South Wales for players under the age of 21.
Lanskey comes to the club having come through the junior systems at NRL side Brisbane Broncos as well as representing Queensland at Under 16s, Under 18s and Under 20s.
Director Ashley Kilpatrick said when the signing was announced: “We’re delighted to able to bring a player of the quality of Lachlan over from Australia. He comes highly recommended to us.
“He has played for Queensland at 16s,18s and 20s level and also been at Brisbane right through their systems and people in Australia tell us he was very unlucky to not play NRL for them. He’s been playing for Brisbane Tigers in the Queensland cup.”
